Week Sixteen Blog Post

When thinking of an activist I would have to say my youngest sister Madalyn is the perfect example of a young activist. My youngest sister Madalyn is eleven years old and a great example to other girls her age and to me as well. Madalyn has always been years ahead of her age. I think this is because she is the youngest out of four girls, so she has always been eager to keep up with her older sisters. Madalyn is just finishing up sixth grade and throughout this semester she has made an effort to create a positivity page on her Facebook profile for kids in her classes to follow. Madalyn writes a positive Facebook post every day that encourage kids in her classes to think positively about themselves and others.

Madalyn decided to make her Facebook page into a positivity page when she started her first day of sixth grade. I talked to Madalyn on her first day of school and she explained to me that everyone was really nervous to make the transition from elementary school to an intermediate school. Madalyn felt that with all the changes that everyone was going through people were starting to develop negative attitudes towards themselves and others. There were many girls in Madalyn's classes that were constantly comparing themselves to other girls and bashing on their own bodies as well as other girls bodies. Not only were they bashing on their body image but these young girls who were now thrown into a junior high type setting were trying to figure out what "group" they belonged in, so some of the girls were starting to get mean on a personal level. With all the changes that everyone was going through Madalyn decided that it might be a good idea to get positive conversations going on her Facebook page, so she could create a positive space for kids in her classes to communicate with each other.

Madalyn has received great support from her classmates and as a result has even made new friends and helped others to do the same. Her posts range in a variety of topics but all of them lead to positive conversations. Here are a few examples of some of her posts- "I am loving my hair today, comment below and tell me what you love about yourself today!!!!!!", "I am stressed with all of this homework!! is anyone else stressed??? Lets help each other out!!", "Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something, because you definitely can!", "Spongebob is my favorite!!!!! What is your favorite Spongebob episode???", "I am so grateful for my family today, what are you grateful for?" "The mile run for PE was canceled today because of the rain!!!! YAY!!! What awesome thing happened to you today????"
I am really proud of my sister for what she is doing. Obviously these posts are a little silly but to a bunch of eleven year olds who are struggling to figure out a new school, I think it is helpful for them to talk about their favorite Spongebob episode or the awesome thing that happened to them that day to get their mind off of things. I think often times it is the little things that make the biggest difference. What Madalyn is doing may be small but I think even a positive conversation can really help someone who is struggling. My sister Madalyn is great example to me of how to make a positive difference in other peoples lives. I think it is great that my sister is finding small ways to help others, today its through Facebook, but who knows maybe tomorrow she could be the next Tavi Gevinson!

Week Fifteen Blog Post

The book I am Malala was truly an inspiring book for me to read. Education has always been something that is extremely important to me. It has never been a question of whether or not I would go to college, but where I would go to college. After reading this book I felt a great sense of gratitude for the opportunities and privileges that have been extended to me in my educational experience. It is astounding to me how the Taliban came into Malala's village and attempted to wipe out all opportunities for women to receive even a basic education. Education should be available to everyone regardless of his or her's gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or citizenship.

I was so impressed by Malala's courage and determination to fight for education and to defend the rights of all young girls and boys to an education. I loved that even a girl as young as Malala could make such a huge impact on the world. It is really just a small indication of how great the potential of women really is. One thing that I found so inspiring about this story was how the Taliban saw Malala as a threat and attempted to take her life, but from that attack Malala only became stronger and more rooted in her convictions to fight the Taliban. It was an example to me that no matter how hard the adversaries in my life try to put me down, I have the potential to come back even stronger and to increase my ability to succeed. I think Malala is an excellent example to girls and women of all ages and walks of life. Malala expertly demonstrates courage, independence and strength, which is something that I think girls and women everywhere need to see. I think sometimes it is difficult to find a female role model in today's society that is relatable and powerful enough to make a difference in a young woman life. I mentioned before in our classes group discussion that I had read this book with my fifteen year old sister, who didn't particularly like attending school. After we read the book my sister said that she was beginning to understand why education was so important and that she found Malala to be a very strong example of what she should strive towards in her life. 

I appreciate this book for illustrating how cultures all over the world are different and can seem strange to others who cannot relate, but ultimately the desire to know and learn is found in every culture. I believe this is one reason why all of us must stand up and fight for everyone to be given an opportunity to receive an education. Knowledge is a great power and everyone should have access to it. Those who do not have access to an education cannot protect themselves or decide for themselves what they know to be true. It is crucial that girls everywhere understand how important it is to gain an education. Malala continues to fight for this cause, and after reading this book I am more dedicated to supporting her efforts than ever before. I loved every aspect about this book, though at times it was frustrating and horrifying to read about the gender related violence that was occurring in Malala's village, it was further proof for me that those issue are relevant and must be stopped. I will always fight for my right to an education, and I will continue to fight for the rights of others to gain theirs.

Week Thirteen Blog Post

The Interrupters is a film that is truly eye opening to the war that is taking place on our own home front. Living in the state of Utah I think it is fair to say that we are rarely exposed to the kind of violence that the people of urban Chicago experience every day. While I was watching the film I was horrified by the conditions of the urban neighborhoods that young Chicago families were living in. The neighborhoods really did resemble war zones. I can't imagine what it would be like to go through life not knowing if you were going to make it into your twenties let alone your thirties. I was really touched by the turn around of the individual members from cease fire, specifically Ameena Matthews. Ameena was very gifted at being able to talk with the youth and to teach them how to let go of hate and to embrace life. I specifically admired the effort that Ameena put into helping the troubled young girl Capreshia.

Ameena introduced Capreshia to special rituals that are typically reserved for a mother and daughter, such as taking her to the salon for a manicure and on another occasion a hair cut. Due to the fact that Capreshia didn't really have a mother that was present in her life or a father for that matter, Capreshia channeled her emotions through violence. I think this is why so many of the youth in the film were so violent, because they had situations in their lives that they couldn't control but by channeling their emotions through violence it gave them a sense of control that they were lacking. Ameena was always there to encourage Capreshia to be better and to learn how to work through her issues without resulting to violence. It was heart breaking towards the end of the film when Capreshia walked away from Ameena after Ameena had confronted her for lying about when the first day of school started. Ameena worked so hard to help Capreshia turn her life around, but in the end she recognized that Capreshia had to want it just as much as Ameena did, if anything was really going to change.

It was a really powerful moment for me when Ameena tearfully left one final encouraging message on Capreshia's phone and told the camera crew that she would no longer let Capreshia manipulate her. One of the great things about Ameena, is that she has been where these young kids have been before, and she knows exactly what they are doing. When Ameena confronted Capreshia she didn't hold back anything, she called Capreshia out on everything that she was doing, and wouldn't allow her to come up with any excuses for her behavior. I think the brutal honesty that Ameena uses allows her to reach the youth on a deeper level and inspire them to want to change. All of the Cease Fire members had incredible stories of change and redemption that on a certain level restored some of my faith in humanity. The members of Cease Fire are making a difference among the youth in their community. It isn't easy to stop a war but I think the members of Cease Fire are gradually convincing the youth to walk away from the battle one by one, and hopefully someday the violence will come to an end.